Photo: Calgary Flames rookie Johnny Gaudreau followed up his selection as the Hobey Baker winner in 2014 by turning in a performance in his NHL rookie season that is likely to earn him the NHL’s Calder Trophy in 2015 (courtesy of Gerry Thomas/NHLI via Getty Images)

The late-season playoff push in places like Calgary, Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Florida — all teams that were not expected to be in the playoff hunt — pushed several rookies into the spotlight. While all but the Florida Panthers made the playoffs, the fact that all had key contributions from first-year players made for an interesting Calder Trophy selection the 2014-15 season. Read more»

Photo: Kootenay Ice forward and Buffalo Sabres prospect Sam Reinhart tied for the scoring lead at the 2015 U20 World Junior Championship, posting 11 points in seven games for Team Canada (courtesy of Aaron Bell/CHL Images)

The Spring edition of the Hockey’s Future ranking of the Top 50 NHL prospects concludes with the top 10 prospects.

The top 10 consists of six forwards, two defensemen, and two goaltenders. Five of the players in this top 10 were selected in the 2014 NHL Draft while nine are former first round picks. Read more»

As might be noticed in international competition, the center position is often an area that Russia has some trouble filling with younger prospects, as that country instead fills with veterans like Pavel Datsyuk or Evgeny Malkin because of the apparent lack of production from younger, less established players. But recently, there have been some signs of trend inversion as there have been some centers drafted by NHL teams out of the KHL. Read more»

The Spring edition of the Hockey’s Future ranking of the Top 50 NHL prospects continues with the 21 thru 30 section. The top part of this ranking features several promising defensive prospects, including Winnipeg Jets draft pick, Josh Morrissey. Read more»

The Winnipeg Jets defied the odds this season with their never say die mentality, overcoming injury and hardship on their way to edging out the defending Stanley Cup Champions and clinching the franchise’s first playoff appearance since its return to Winnipeg. The return of playoff hockey after its nearly 20 year hiatus from Winnipeg has reignited the burning passion of the fan base, making one thing clear moving forward: simply making the playoffs is not enough anymore.